Foster Dad Accused of Drug Use on Day of Hot-Car Death

A Kansas foster father left a 10-month-old girl to die in a hot car on a 90-degree day while he went in his house to use drugs, a prosecutor alleges. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Friday at a bond hearing that Seth Jackson, 29, of Wichita had been smoking pot but ran out, NBC station KSN of Wichita reported.

Bennett gave this account of what happened then on July 24, according to KSN: Jackson took his 5-year-old son to an appointment, at some point stopping to buy marijuana from a dealer, then picked up the baby from a sitter. When they got home, the 5-year-old got out of the car but Jackson left behind the girl, known as Anna by his family and as Kadillak by her biological relatives. He suddenly remembered her more than two hours later.

Jackson is charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $250,000 bail, which the judge refused Friday to lower although it was modified. One of Jackson’s lawyers, John Stang, told NBC News this week that the child’s death was accidental and the circumstances don’t support such a charge.